diff --git a/caddy/caddy_test.go b/caddy/caddy_test.go
index 7184a09253..945f1a3d68 100644
--- a/caddy/caddy_test.go
+++ b/caddy/caddy_test.go
@@ -2062,6 +2062,31 @@ func TestSymlinkWorkerPaths(t *testing.T) {
 
 		tester.AssertGetResponse("http://localhost:"+testPort+"/index.php", http.StatusOK, "Request: 0\n")
 	})
+
+	t.Run("PhpServerWorkerWithoutResolveRootSymlink", func(t *testing.T) {
+		tester := caddytest.NewTester(t)
+		initServer(t, tester, `
+			{
+				skip_install_trust
+				admin localhost:2999
+				http_port `+testPort+`
+			}
+
+			localhost:`+testPort+` {
+				root `+publicDir+`
+				php_server {
+					worker {
+						file `+publicDir+`/index.php
+						num 1
+					}
+					resolve_root_symlink false
+				}
+			}
+			`, "caddyfile")
+
+		// the readiness probe of initServer falls back to index.php and was request 0
+		tester.AssertGetResponse("http://localhost:"+testPort+"/index.php", http.StatusOK, "Request: 1\n")
+	})
 }
 
 // TestSymlinkResolveRoot tests the resolve_root_symlink directive behavior
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 5566ed41cf..40f50a17ee 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type workerOpt struct {
 
 	name                   string
 	fileName               string
+	declaredFileName       string
 	num                    int
 	maxThreads             int
 	env                    PreparedEnv
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 8274f23c54..e757ab37f6 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ func (s *Server) addWorker(w *worker) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("two workers in a server cannot have the same filename: %q", w.fileName)
 	}
 	s.workersByPath[w.fileName] = w
+	// a document root whose symlinks are kept yields the declared path, not the resolved one
+	s.workersByPath[w.declaredFileName] = w
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/worker.go b/worker.go
index a94dca945d..8f1fe524f2 100644
--- a/worker.go
+++ b/worker.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type worker struct {
 
 	name                   string
 	fileName               string
+	declaredFileName       string
 	matchRequest           func(*http.Request) bool
 	num                    int
 	maxThreads             int
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ func initWorkers(opts []workerOpt) error {
 		workersByName[w.name] = w
 		if w.server == nil {
 			globalWorkersByPath[w.fileName] = w
+			globalWorkersByPath[w.declaredFileName] = w
 		} else if err := w.server.addWorker(w); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -108,6 +110,11 @@ func initWorkers(opts []workerOpt) error {
 // This order ensures that FrankenPHP started from inside a symlinked directory will properly resolve any paths.
 // If it is started from outside a symlinked directory, it is resolved to the same path that we use in the Caddy module.
 func resolveWorkerFile(o workerOpt) (workerOpt, error) {
+	declaredFileName, err := fastabs.FastAbs(filepath.FromSlash(o.fileName))
+	if err != nil {
+		return o, fmt.Errorf("worker filename is invalid %q: %w", o.fileName, err)
+	}
+
 	absFileName, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(filepath.FromSlash(o.fileName))
 	if err != nil {
 		return o, fmt.Errorf("worker filename is invalid %q: %w", o.fileName, err)
@@ -122,6 +129,7 @@ func resolveWorkerFile(o workerOpt) (workerOpt, error) {
 		return o, fmt.Errorf("worker file not found %q: %w", absFileName, err)
 	}
 
+	o.declaredFileName = declaredFileName
 	o.fileName = absFileName
 	if o.name == "" {
 		o.name = absFileName
@@ -195,6 +203,7 @@ func newWorker(o workerOpt) (*worker, error) {
 	w := &worker{
 		name:                   o.name,
 		fileName:               absFileName,
+		declaredFileName:       o.declaredFileName,
 		matchRequest:           o.matchRequest,
 		requestOptions:         o.requestOptions,
 		num:                    o.num,